Chase Briscoe isn't getting the attention he deserves

Chase Briscoe is heading into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with momentum, results, and a car capable of winning. But he's not a driver everyone is talking about.

The 30-year-old has quietly put together one of his most complete seasons in his first year driving the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. After four years at Stewart-Haas Racing, he stepped into one of NASCAR's most prestigious rides, replacing Martin Truex Jr. The move brought expectations, and Briscoe has delivered.

However, with teammates Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell dominating headlines, he has often gone under the radar. Hamlin has a league-high four wins, while Bell won thrice in a row early in the season. Briscoe's breakthrough came in late July at Pocono Raceway.

Before Pocono, his season already featured strong finishes. He had four P4 finishes at Daytona, Homestead, Bristol, and Kansas. But he still needed a win to secure his playoff spot.

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Chase Briscoe's 2025 turning point at Pocono

Chase Briscoe celebrates winning the Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. Source: Imagn

Chase Briscoe started the Great American Getaway 400 from the pole, his fourth of the year, and led a race-best 72 of 160 laps. The win didn't come easy. In the final 34 laps, he saved fuel and held off teammate Hamlin, the all-time Pocono wins leader, and Team Penske's Ryan Blaney, a two-time winner at the track, lap after lap.

Briscoe executed perfectly, saving enough fuel to finish 0.682 seconds ahead of Hamlin. It was his first victory for JGR, his third career Cup win, and a ticket to the 2025 playoffs. It also validated the confidence he’d voiced earlier in the season after a runner-up finish at Sonoma:

"I feel like I get overlooked a lot of the time, but I hopefully will be able to kind of earn the respect of a lot of guys… This No. 19 car finally lets me show what I feel like I'm capable of. I honestly think there's only been two tracks all year long where we couldn’t have won from a speed standpoint."

Speaking about the leadership, he said earlier this month (via Rubbin' is Racing):

"Just having the boss around. Like Coach (Joe Gibbs) is in every meeting. He's at the race track every single weekend... Where(as) with Coach, that is his full-time job. He's just trying to make Joe Gibbs Racing as successful as it can be. So even just having the boss there and having somebody that's going to hold you accountable on Monday if you run bad."

And since Pocono, Briscoe's results have matched his confidence.

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Chase Briscoe's solid second half of the season

Chase Briscoe (19) leads during the Brickyard 400. Source: Imagn

Chase Briscoe finished second at Sonoma after two underwhelming races at the Chicago Street course and Atlanta Speedway. It was his best-ever road course result as he chased Shane van Gisbergen to the line. At Dover, he put together one of his most complete runs on a track where he had struggled in the past, after starting and finishing second.

The Brickyard 400 was his home race, and while he didn't win, he claimed the pole, won Stage 1, and finished 18th. A week later at Iowa, he grabbed another pole - his sixth of the season and second in a row - before finishing runner-up yet again. This run of form has put Briscoe eighth in the standings with 640 points heading into Watkins Glen.

Next up is the Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International - 90 laps, 220.5 miles in New York. Briscoe's road course record isn't his strongest, with just two top-10s in four starts at the track, but his recent improvement suggests he could surprise.

Past No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. excelled at Watkins Glen, as well as the two races that follow: Richmond and Daytona. With the speed Briscoe has shown lately, multiple wins before the end of the regular season aren't out of the question. And if the momentum continues, it won't be long before the dark horse label no longer applies.